Apparent rice polishing ratio (Mikake seimai buai)

Apparent rice polishing ratio (mikake seimai buai) is an indicator of how much the rice used to make sake has been polished. Specifically, it is the weight of the polished white rice divided by the weight of the brown rice before polishing, multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage. This figure shows how removing the outer parts of the rice grain, that is, the bran and the skin, affects the flavor and aroma of the sake in brewing. The apparent rice polishing ratio is used to understand the quality and characteristics of the finished sake. Also called the true rice polishing ratio (shin seimai buai), this value is an important factor when choosing a sake style.